While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at the July window to host the tournament, that too behind closed doors, former Indian cricketer Madan Lal, however, isn’t in favour of the league taking place without the spectators.
“There’s no point in playing IPL matches in front of empty stands. It’s not just about the players and the fans, it’s about other people who are also involved in the process while travelling, organising, broadcasting, etc,” Lal told IANS.
The revised start date of April 15 was set by the BCCI with hopes of the country resolving the current Coronavirus situation in this time. The number of cases, however, have only increased and a lot more work is required in order to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Lal hence believes that hosting the tournament in these conditions will be a big risk. The authorities should wait until the situation is completely under control.
“IPL is a big brand. But the board can only take a decision once the situation improves and coronavirus is gone. At the moment, it’s on upstage. So, no one is going to take a risk,” the 1983 World Cup-winner said.
“Once coronavirus is gone, cricket can obviously take place because it’s such a popular sport and is loved by all. Even the players would like to play in front of crowds and that can only happen once the situation fully improves. Once the situation improves, other series will also take place and BCCI can totally recover for the lost time,” he added.
